On Thursday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that quarterback Quinn Ewers, the Miami Dolphins’ 7th-round draft pick, signed his rookie contract. He is the first of Miami’s draft picks to sign their rookie deals.

Ewers was a surprising fall draft weekend. He was expected to go much earlier, possibly on day two, but wasn’t selected until the final round on Saturday in Rd 7.

The agent for Ewers (Ron Slavin) was very surprised about his client falling to Round 7. Per an ESPN.com Article written by Todd Archer.

Slavin reached out to half of the league the day after the draft to find out why Quinn wasn’t selected until round 7. Needless to say, his agent wasn’t happy with what he heard.

“They thought he was a third- or fourth-round pick, but too big of a name to be a clipboard holder,” Slavin said. “Which I think is chickens—.”

Slavin said one personnel executive told him, “There’s only so many reps to go around for young quarterbacks. You can justify it at other positions, but if you can’t get a quarterback the amount of work to develop him, then you’re almost wasting a pick.”

Quinn Ewers has been the golden boy since his High School days. Coming out of High School, he was the #1 recruit in the country, not the #1 quarterback recruit, but the #1 overall recruit in the United States.

He committed to Texas initially, but then decommitted and decided to go to Ohio State. Then, shockingly, he reclassified from the 2022 class to the 2021 class and joined Ohio State a year early to collect NIL money over $1 million. Something he couldn’t have done if he stayed for his senior year in Texas, because, due to Texas state law, a high school student couldn’t receive NIL money while in High School.

Ewers’ time at Ohio State didn’t last long, and he eventually transferred to Texas, where he was the winningest quarterback in College football for three seasons.

After his 2023 season, many believed Ewers would be a first-round draft pick, some even saying the top half of round one.

Fans of some NFL teams were even chanting the mantra “DON’T WIN FOR QUINN” in the vein of “Suck for Luck” and “Tank for Tua.”

But in the 2024 season, in which Quinn threw for 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, he was sidetracked at times by injuries, and he didn’t live up to the hype surrounding him entering this past season.

Now, Quinn enters the NFL, joining the Miami Dolphins as a 7th-round draft pick, with no pressure on him for the first time in his life and no expectations put on him.

Quinn is allowed to play football and will have to earn his spot. Nothing will be given to him.

In Miami, his best-case scenario is to win the #3 QB job this year and sit behind Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson this season.

In the long term, he could possibly supplant Wilson, who is only on a one-year deal as the backup quarterback. If Tua’s injuries continue to sideline him as they do most seasons, he will have an opportunity for more.

But more won’t be expected, and that pressure will not be on his shoulders.

For now, he is just another 7th-round draft pick trying to earn his keep in the NFL.

 

NFL.com Draft Profile for Quinn Ewers

Overview

Ewers’ arm talent and game flashes are enticing, but he hasn’t learned to play the game with a high enough level of consistency. The tape of road wins over Alabama and Michigan over the last two seasons showed the clearest picture of Ewers’ ceiling. He spins it with a sudden release and good touch over the first two levels and makes it look easy when he finds a rhythm. He won a high percentage of his career starts but struggled to put points on the board in most big games in 2024. Ewers rarely operates as a smooth, full-field reader. He often predetermines his target and throws into coverage instead of taking what the defense is offering. A lack of escapability will require him to process quickly enough to stay ahead of NFL blitz packages. The raw talent and upside will be alluring for pro-style passing attacks, but it’s fair to wonder if he will ever be able to rise above the talent on his roster and the ability of his play-caller to create favorable terms.

Strengths

  • Displays willingness to go out and compete through pain.
  • Performances in road games at Alabama (2023) and Michigan (2024) stand out.
  • Makes it look easy when he’s working in rhythm.
  • Arm talent to make trick-shot throws from a variety of angles.
  • Gets the ball out in a hurry with just the flick of his wrist.
  • Showed good pocket mobility to slide and deliver in 2023.
  • Has games where footwork is clean and delivery is sharp.
  • Capable of making touch throws from off-platform.
  • Throws with consistent accuracy on boot-action rollouts.

Weaknesses

  • Can be fooled from pre-snap to post-snap looks by defense.
  • Needs better eye manipulation to hold safeties and linebackers.
  • Gets stuck on first read, regardless of coverage.
  • Stares at primary receivers and will throw them into collisions.
  • Lazy footwork forces receivers to break stride to make the catch.
  • Will throw late and put too much air under some downfield throws.
  • Must improve his feel and response to edge pressure.

Miami Dolphins Release Long Snapper Blake Ferguson